Course Catalogue

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This course serves as an introduction to Postcolonial Literature, Theory and Visual Culture and will be available as an SMLC-wide Honours option. All texts will be available in English translation, the films will be subtitled, and students will be introduced to the core concepts and questions of postcolonial theory, which will be explored through a range of literary and visual cultural source material, principally from Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean.

One hour weekly across both semesters

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into one of the SMLC Honours programmes, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes.

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Assessment

Exam (1.5 hours) in the examining period of semester 1 (50%); Essay (c.2000 words) to be submitted by the end of semester 2 (50%).

Reassessment

In accordance with the University's Code of Assessment reassessments are normally set for all courses which do not contribute to the honours classifications. For non honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students, and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions are listed below in this box.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ increase students' understanding of the postcolonial literature, thought and film, principally focussing on the Francophone, Anglophone and Lusophone world

■ enhance students' knowledge of the historical context of colonialism and postcolonialism.

■ enable students to interrelate and analyse critically different theoretical approaches to the study of postcolonial literature, thought and visual culture.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ demonstrate an ability to situate a prescribed text or film within a social and historical context and to undertake a critical assessment of its underlying themes

■ discuss the development of postcolonial literature, thought and film

■ produce sustained arguments in both written and oral form on a variety of textual sources relating to postcolonial literature, thought and visual culture

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.